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Who was a famous fur trapper?
John Colter (1774?-1813) – Frontiersman, explorer, fur trapper, mountain man, and army scout credited with the being the discoverer of the Yellowstone area.
What animals were in the fur trade?
Animals desirable for their pelts during the North American fur trade era included, among others, mink, otter, lynx, fox, muskrat, deer, raccoon, and the highly-valued beaver. Beaver fur was especially popular because of its ability to felt.
What do fur traders do?
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued.
Who was the first fur trapper in the Rocky Mountains?
Named after Lisa’s son, Fort Raymond was the first American fur trading post in the Rocky Mountains–David Thompson had built Kootenae House a few months earlier in British Columbia. From this post, Lisa sent John Colter, George Drouillard, and Edward Rose to Crow Indian villages to inform them of a the trading post.
How did the fur trappers contribute to the western expansion?
Still, it should be noted the trapping of fur bearing animals was key to the mountain man and played a significant role in America’s western expansion. The use of iron traps did not become wide spread until the early 1800s. Beaver traps created the Mountain Man and eventually the Rocky Mountain fur trade.
What did trappers and hunters do for a living?
The vast majority of mountain men worked directly for a large fur trading company. These companies employed hundreds of trappers and hunters at a time. These hunters and trappers worked for wages. The companies supplied the hired trappers with their food, equipment, and other supplies. The furs produced by these hunters belonged to the company.
How did the life of a fur trapper shorten?
Other ways of shortening the life expectancy of a trapper included fatal quarrels with fellow trappers, thirst, weather, accident, disease and hunger. The quest for food was an obsession in a land where one would suppose that game would always be plentiful.